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For you and others, maybe not. I want to live a good and purposeful life. What does that mean? I do not believe I am just a body of flesh and blood wandering meaninglessly on this planet we call Earth. If so, I will bring up the question again: why don't we all just die? I want to enjoy life. I think we all do. I also want to leave this planet in better shape compared to the way it was when I was first born. "Better shape" could mean I build a business that could help get the homeless into good homes, help alleviate corruption in government, help the unemployed become employed. There's different ways to make this planet better.
I think everyone has some form of a "spirit". But if you do not care about individuals and the human raise and the meaning of life, then that's on you.
You are changing the question.
You asked what is the purpose of existence.
Now you are asking what is the purpose of the exitance we have.
These are not the same question. One is 'why are we here'? The other is 'what should I do now that I'm here'?
Now you are asking what is the purpose of the exitance we have.
These are not the same question. One is 'why are we here'? The other is 'what should I do now that I'm here'?
not sure what you mean. I don't think I've ever changed the question. the question remains the same and people have given different kinds of responses. maybe I've asked different questions based on the responses that were given?
not sure what you mean. I don't think I've ever changed the question. the question remains the same and people have given different kinds of responses. maybe I've asked different questions based on the responses that were given?
'Why are we here' and 'What should we do now that we're here' are separate questions that are also pretty inextricably linked....
'Why are we here' and 'What should we do now that we're here' are separate questions that are also pretty inextricably linked....
Essentially, "what is the purpose of life?" is the same as asking "why are we here?".
now that we are here, asking "what should we do now?" is a follow-up question. "why are we here in the first place?" is the question that should be asked before asking "what should we do now?"
the most common response in this thread is: we are here for no specific reason....we are just here. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that idea.
there is ALWAYS a reason for things to happen. things don't happen randomly. the core idea to atheism is: reason. things happen for a reason. science exists to prove things. we don't just say "that person's skin randomly became black and blue". there's a reason for it.
so going back to the original topic: what is the purpose of life? why do we exist? are we the result of evolution?
Essentially, "what is the purpose of life?" is the same as asking "why are we here?".
now that we are here, asking "what should we do now?" is a follow-up question. "why are we here in the first place?" is the question that should be asked before asking "what should we do now?"
the most common response in this thread is: we are here for no specific reason....we are just here. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that idea.
there is ALWAYS a reason for things to happen. things don't happen randomly. the core idea to atheism is: reason. things happen for a reason. science exists to prove things. we don't just say "that person's skin randomly became black and blue". there's a reason for it.
so going back to the original topic: what is the purpose of life? why do we exist? are we the result of evolution?
We exist because that is our nature - existence. We are the same existence that the universe is, the cosmos it is all one single existence. There is only one existence and that existence exists in different forms and we call them by different names, but in their essence they nothing but the one single existence. Existence is uncreated, without attributes or parts, and transcends time and space.
The purpose of human life is to realize ones nature, one’s essence, as the same as the cosmic existence. We are not body, brain, mind, or organs, we are pure and eternal existence. The reason we exist in the limited human form is due to the fructification of our actions. And the same human form is also the means to liberation from the human condition.
The hangup on usage of the word 'nihilism' is I think simply based on a misunderstanding more than anything else. Existential nihilism is defined as 'the belief that life is without intrinsic meaning.' I think most of the people (atheists, that is) who contributed to this thread would agree that life has no inherent meaning. That is enough to qualify one as an existential nihilist. Resisting the label is, well, pointless (appropriately enough!) so long as one meets that single criterion. Plenty of the people who've posted on this thread have said variations of 'life has no inherent meaning, but yet I give my life [a sense of] meaning.' The first clause is enough to render one an existential nihilist; the second clause doesn't somehow negate the first.
This isn't the first thread where I've encountered pushback over the usage of the word 'nihilism' though, so I fully expected it to occur once again. It's happened to me in real life, too. A couple of my best friends pretty much share my worldview, yet they refuse to admit that 'pretty much sharing my worldview' qualifies them as nihilists. They'll gladly identify as atheists, but they'll turn around and refer to me as the resident nihilist of the group...although they have a bit more of an excuse, in some sense, as I *am* the only member of our friend group who will occasionally exclaim 'life is meaningless' (typically while drunk). I once walked down a main street here in Buffalo on a Friday or Saturday night spelling out the word 'nihilism' as a cheerleader might...this was over a decade ago at this point, but still memorable, hah.
Ah okay gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.
I've taken your explanation on board. However, I'd still put myself in the camp with your atheist friends.
I get what you are saying that if your starting point is 'life is without intrinsic meaning' I'm not sure I can go as far as to fully agree with that statement. If 'a sense of meaning' is self imposed then there's a value in that. I think even the most hardened of us atheists live life everyday proportionally far more in the 'life with self imposed meaning' stance than the 'life has no meaning' stance, even if we agree in principle with the second statement.
I honestly spend very little time thinking that there's no intrinsic meaning and a lot of my time imposing meaning so I think it's more a difference of perspective. If I only spent a small proportion of my time in the nihilist mindset then I'm not sure that makes me a nihilist. I have a hard time in fact fully accepting that there's no intrinsic meaning, partly because 'meaning' is a thing invented by humans so in a sense everything, including 'god' is self imposed. Humans have always looked for meaning since they first tried to make sense of the stars and the seasons. I don't think the removal of god removes meaning, it just places meaning somewhere else.
I do agree that a lot of responses in the thread have essentially claimed 'no intrinsic meaning' and not just from atheists as far as I can tell, which is interesting.
Purpose, in my view, is something researched, planned, revised, risk managed, options considered, opinions gathered and weighed.
That is not the only way to define purpose, but you are welcome to your very valid definition. My purpose can be very simple, find the best pizza. It can change with time and place. It can in fact be by instinct, by intuition, by need and what not.
There is no way you can decide that wild things have or not have purpose.
Essentially, "what is the purpose of life?" is the same as asking "why are we here?".
now that we are here, asking "what should we do now?" is a follow-up question. "why are we here in the first place?" is the question that should be asked before asking "what should we do now?"
the most common response in this thread is: we are here for no specific reason....we are just here. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that idea.
there is ALWAYS a reason for things to happen. things don't happen randomly. the core idea to atheism is: reason. things happen for a reason. science exists to prove things. we don't just say "that person's skin randomly became black and blue". there's a reason for it.
so going back to the original topic: what is the purpose of life? why do we exist? are we the result of evolution?
Essentially, "what is the purpose of life?" is the same as asking "why are we here?".
now that we are here, asking "what should we do now?" is a follow-up question. "why are we here in the first place?" is the question that should be asked before asking "what should we do now?"
the most common response in this thread is: we are here for no specific reason....we are just here. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that idea.
there is ALWAYS a reason for things to happen. things don't happen randomly. the core idea to atheism is: reason. things happen for a reason. science exists to prove things. we don't just say "that person's skin randomly became black and blue". there's a reason for it.
so going back to the original topic: what is the purpose of life? why do we exist? are we the result of evolution?
Most religious people do. They've been spoon fed the idea that god has a plan for them.
Once someone accepts that there is no god, then there also is no plan.
Everything after that is a choice.
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